Why is the visual design of a web site important?
Imagine for a second, a visitor clicks on a link to your site, it loads, and BAM - they’ve made their decision on whether they like it or not. That seems pretty fast, doesn’t it?
Well, you might be surprised to know that psychologists have found that a mental function called “the halo affect” causes the average visitor to make a decision on whether they like the look and feel of a web site in just a 20th of a second. That extremely quick first impression is what helps the visitor conclude whether they are going to continue looking around the web site or not – if the site looks good, then they automatically conclude, consciously or not, that the other parts of the site will be good, too.
Humans conclude a lot of things according to how they perceive it visually – no matter how many times you say that you “can’t judge a book by its cover”, no one can disagree that visual first impressions are important. If something is aesthetically appealing, a person is more likely to pay attention to it for a longer period of time than just the initial introduction. Those automatic judgments are made as quickly as the eye takes in information, so it’s crucial to make sure that the design of your web site screams, “I’m so good-looking, I deserve your time!” If the visitor gets that impression from just the way the site looks, then you’ve reeled them in and have a better chance of selling them your product.
If the design is not easy on the eyes though, you might as well say goodbye to any chance of the web site bringing you business. Dr. Gitte Lindgaard of Carleton University says, “Unless the first impression is favorable, visitors will be out of your site before they even know that you might be offering more than your competitors.” * If nothing draws a visitor in to your web site, they sub-consciously conclude that there is nothing worthwhile to keep them there, either.
Simplicity, a nice color-scheme, and an attractive setup are part of what makes up a great web site. Dream Row can build such web sites for anyone who wants to make a good impression on visitors, both initially and after more thorough browsing, which will, by extension, help pave the way for a more successful career or business. Don’t let your reputation be tainted just because you don’t have a design that’s easy on the eyes; make sure that your web site is pleasing right off the bat so that every visitor who finds it will want to take a longer look at it.
* http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4616700.stm
